Tablet counting and filling machine.



No. 824,463. PAIIENTED JUNE 26, 1906. J. W. & A. M. AYERS.

TABLET COUNTING AND FILLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29.1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

f F 3 7 1| WW I No. 824,463. I PATENT-ED JUNE 26, 1906.

JPW. & A. M. AYERS.

TABLET COUNTING AND FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29. 1904.

s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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No. 824,463. PATNN T D'JUNE 26, 1906.

, 4 J. W. .& A. AYERS.

TABLET COUNTING AND FILLING MACHINE.

AP'PLIOATIOB FILED SEPT. 29,1904.

3 SH-EETSSHEET 3.

ITNITED STATES PATE FFTGE.

OHN W. AYERS AND ALBERT M. AYERS, ()F NEW YORK, N. Y.

TABLET COUNTING AND FILLING MACHHNE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. June 26, 1906.

Application filed September 29, 1204. Serial 1%. 226,622.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN W. AYERs and ALnERr M. AYERS, citizens of the United States, and residents of the boron h of Brook lyn, 1n the cit and State of New ork, have invented an mprovement in Tablet Counting and Filling Machines, of which the followmg 1s a specification.

Our invention consists in certain improvements in the construction, form, and arran ement of the severalparts of a machine or counting small articlessuch, for instance, as tablets, pills, and the like-and feeding such articles to a oint where they may be delivered into suitable receptacles.

A practical embodiment of our invention is refiented in the accom anying drawings, in Figure 1 represents the right-hand side of the machine. Fig. 2 represents the left-hand side of the machine. Fig. 3 represents a vertical longitudinal section through the machine in a plane adjacent to the right-hand side of the machine. Fig. 4 is a similar view inanother plane. Fig. 5 is atop plan view of the machine. Fig. 6 is a front View, and Fig. 7 represents in detail a to plan and a longitudinal vertical section,.o the articledelivery plates.

The machine-framing is denoted by 1 and is made of suitable form and construction to suit the requirements of the machine. The article-delivery plates are denoted by 2 and 3. The bottom plate 3 is fitted to slide horizontally to the front and rear in tracks 4 in i the framing 1, which confine the side edges of chine, upon which the plate. The top. plate 2 is also fitted to slide horizontally to the front and rear in tracks 5 in the said framing 1, which confine the side edges of the plate. A box 6 surmounts the framin 1 at the front of the mabox the article-reservoir 7 is mounted. The top plate 2 serves as a bottom for the box 6. The front of the box along its bottom is provided with a transverse 0 ening 8, and along the inside of the front 0 the box a brush 9 is secured, the bottom of which brush engages the face of the top late 2.

T e top plate 2 is provided with a series of holes 10 therein, which holes serve as pockets for receiving the articles to be delivered and retaining the articles therein so long as the bottom plate 3 closes the bottom of the said holes. The number of holes 10 corresponds to the numberof articles to be delivered, and

the holes are preferably arranged in a series of transverse rows, as shown.

The main drive-shaft of the machine is denoted by 11, which shaft is provided with a drivingulley 12, loosely mounted thereon. This pu ley is fitted to be constantly driven omsome source of ower. gNot shownhere in.) A clutch 13 of any wel -known and approved construction is provided for throwing the drivin -pulley 12 into driving engagement with the sfiaft 11 when it is desired to operate the machine. 'In the present instance we have shown a foot-lever 14 for controlling the operation of the clutch 13. shaft 11 is provided with a gear 15, which meshes with an intermediate idler-gear 16, which idler-gear in turn meshes with a gear 17 on the cam-shaft 18.

The bottom plate 3 is reciprocated at predetermined intervals by the followin devices. A cam '19 is fixed to the sha t 18, which cam engages a stud or roller 20 on a rocking lever 21, hinged at its bottom to a support 22 and connected at its top through a link 23 to a lug 24, depending from the rear end of the bottom plate.

The top plate 2 is reciprocated at predetermined intervals by the following devices: A cam 25 is fixed to the shaft 18, which cam engages a stud 26, carried by a rocking lever 27, hinged at its'lower end to the support 22 and connected at its upper end through a link 28 to a bracket 29, carried by the top plate.

The delivery-hopper is denoted by 30, which hopper is provided with a nozzle 31 for receiving the top of the receptacle which it is intended to fill.

32 denotes the bottom rest of an adjustable bracket, the upright 33 of which is secured to an arm 34,- depending from the delivery-hopper 30. In the present instance a clamp device 35 is shown for securing the to thenozzle 31 for bringing the mout of the receptacle to the desired height into position within" the nozzle 31. This hogper and vessel support is carried by the out arm 36 of'a vibrating lever, ivoted at 37 upon the right-hand side of t e framing 1. The rear arm 38 of the vibrating lever is provided with a tooth 39, which is engaged by a ratchet 40, fixed to the cam-shaft 18, so that as the cam-shaft is rotated the deliveryhopper and the vessel will be rapidly vibrated. A spring 11 extends from the framing 1 to the vibrating lever in position to yieldingly The drivetoothoi the ratch machine is as follows: The

tacle for receivin the clutch 13. The rotary movement 0 mouth of the vessel into t hold the teeth 39 in engagement with the A rocking brush 42 is hinged in the box 6, so that the bottom of the brush will engage the surface of the top plate 2. This brush extends transversely across mounted in suitable bearings in the sides of the box. This brush is oscillated through a rocking lever the upper arm 43 of which has a pinand-sl 44, fixed to the brus 45 of which lever is 46, which is engaged to-the cam-shaft 18. 45 is pivoted at 48 on the framing 1 at the left-hand side of the machine. A spring 49 leads from the framing to the rocking lever and exerts its tension in a direction tending to hold the tooth-46 in engagement with the ratchet 47.

The operation of the -shaft, the lower arm pfovided with a tooth y a ratchet 47, fixed several parts of the vessel or recepthe predetermined number ofarticles is p aced upon the bottom rest 32,.and the rest is then ad'usted to bring the e nozzle 31 of the delivery-hopper 30. The drive-shaft 11 is then connected to the pulley 12 by operatiplg t e drive-shaft will impart a rotary movement to the cam-shaft 18. The earns 19 and 25 are so shaped and arranged with respect to each other that the top and bottom plates will occupy the limit of their rearward movement for a short time together. During this time each of the holes 10 in the top plate rece'ives an article from within the box 6-such, for instance, as a tablet or pill. To insure the filling of all of the holes 10,'the cam 25 isprovided with a zigzag portion 50 for eneas ng the impart to the'lever, and therebyt e to plate,

a series of short reciprocatlons. T e continned rotary movement of the cam-shaft '18 will cause the top and bottom plates to be moved forwardly until the ortion of the top plate which contains the articles therein is situated over the deliveryhopper 30. In the for mstance, the tab .ther rotary movement of t cause the cam plate, while the top plate remains stationary,

thus permitting the articles within the holes 10 to be dropped row by row into the delivcry-hopper 30. This prevents the articles from accumulating too rapidly in the hopper 30 and thus tending to become clogged in the nozzle 31. The further rotary movement of the cam-shaft 18 will cause the cam 25 .to withdraw the top plate 2 into the originail position from whic the description of the box'6 and is.

.rately deliver'to the vessel 0t en agement with the arm' This rocking lever 43- stud 26 of the rockin lever 27 to oles- 10 with the meantime the brush 42. has been rocked back and forth to insure the a ,proper settlingl'oi .the articlesas,

ets within the holes 10. The:

' cams 19 and 25 are so sha ed that the furhe cam-shaft will- 19 to withdraw the bottom:

scenes the operation began. During the operation of the machine a vibratory motion is 1mparted to the delivery-hopper 30 and the vessel carried beneath t e same for insuring the delivery of the articles from the hopper into the vessel.

The machine constructed, arranged, and operated as hereinabove set a predetermi d number of articles, all liability of theartic es becoming stuck being obviated because of the use of the devices described.

It is to be understood that any required number of articles may be fed by inserting to plates 2 having the desired number of thermore, it will be seen that the support for the vessel to be filled may be raised and lowered, so as to bring the mouthof the vessel into the desired position within the nozzle of the delivery-hopper. Furthermore,

forth will accu- -ho es therein for receiving the articles. Furwhen the vessel is in positlon it will be seen that the vessel, as well as the hop tated and any danger of the vesse displaced is entirely obviated.

The brush-at the bottom of'the front end of the box 6 serves to present a yielding resistance to the articles withinthe box as the er, is agibecoming topplate is moved to its forward osition with its pockets over the deliveryopper, thus preventing the marring of the articles within the box.

While the machine herein descrbied is more articularly adapted for the counting and fil g of tablets, it is to be understood that the machine may be used for the counting and filling of any of the articles which come in bulk and which are required to be counted and filled into different vessels.

It is evident that various changes might be resorted to'in the construction, form, and arrangement of the several parts. Hence we do not wish to ourselves strictly to the structure herein set forth; but

What we claim as our invention is- 1. An article-reservoir, a top plate forming the bottom of the reservoir and for receiving the articles therein, a bottom plate and means :for moving the plates forward to a predetermined point,"then moving the bottom plate rearward to release the articles and finally moving the top plate rearward to receive a new supply.

2. An article-reservoir, a top plate forming 4 the bottom of'the reservoir and having holes therein for receiving the articles, a bottom plate and means for imparting short reci -rocatory movements to the top plate, '0 en moving the plates forward to a predetermined point, then moving the bottom plate rearward to release the articles in the top plate and finally moving the top plate rearward to receive a new supply.

3. An articlerrese'rvoir, atop late forming the bottom ofthe reservoir andldaving a pluhaving holes rality of transverse rows of holes for receivingthe articles therein, a bottom plate and means for moving the top and bottom plates forward to a predetermined point, then moving the bottom plate rearward to successively uncover the rows of holes in the top plate to release the articles therefrom and finally moving the top plate rearward to receive a new supply.

4. An article-reservoir, a top plate forming the bottom of the reservoir and having holes for receiving the articles therein, a bottom plate, rocking levers connected to the plates, a cam-shaft and cams thereon engaging the levers for moving the plates relatively to each other to deliver the articles at a predeter; mined point.

5. An articleereservoir, a top plate forming the bottom of the reservoir and having holes for receiving the articles therein, a bottom plate, rocking levers connected to the plates, a cam-shaft, a cam thereon engaging the topplate lever and shaped to im art short reciprocatory movements to the ever and thereby the top plate and' a cam engaging the bottomplate lever, both of said cams being arranged to move the plates relatively to each other for delivering the articles at a predetermined point.

6. An article-reservoir, a top plate-forming the bottom of-the reservoir and having holes for receiving articles therein, a bottom plate, means for moving the lates relative each other for releasing lihe articles at a predetermined point and a reciprocating brush located Within the reservoir in position to engage the surface of the to plate.

7 i In an article counting and fillin :ma chine, an article-reservoir, an article-dc ivery hopper, a top plate forming the bottom of the reservoir and having holes for receiving the articles therein, a bottom plate, means for moving the plates forward to bring the-holes in the top plate over the delivery-hopper,-

moving the ottom plate rearward to ermit the articles to fallfrom the holes in t e top plate into the hop er and finally moving the top plate rearward into position to receive a new supply of articles.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing in presence of two witnesses, this 19th day of yto' as our invention we have signed our names, 

